“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
Paraphrase widely attributed to Gandhi. The closest verified source is from his writing in 1913: 'If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.' Published in collected works, Volume 13.
In South Africa, I waited for someone to organize the Indian community. No one did. In India, I waited for someone to challenge the salt tax. No one moved. Every time I waited for someone else, nothing happened. When I walked to Dandi, I did not know if anyone would follow. Seventy-eight people did, then millions. Stop waiting. The world does not change because you want it to. It changes because you go first.